Apparatus for the manufacture of metal tubes by the self-hooping process



E. SCHNEIDER. Y APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF METAL TUBES BY THE SELF HOOPING PROCESS. APPLICATION FILED .NOV- 3, 1920.

1,391,01 PatentedSept 20, 921.

ilvwemoz Y UNITED STATES :PATE-NTKQFF-ICB EUGENE SCHNEIDER, or PARIS, FRANCE; ns's renon To SCHNEIDER & c 0F ARI'S, FRANCE, a LIMITED omT-s'roog ooMPANY orrnnlvon. I v

1 APPARATUS roa' THE MANUFACTURE or METAL TUBES BY; YTYHE'Y sELr-Hoorme 'rnoonss.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed March 31, 1919, Serial No. 286,501. Divided and this application filed Il'ovem- *ber 3,1920. Serial No. 421,468. 7 I

To all whom itmayoonoem: c

Be it known that I, EUG1NE-SCHNEIDER, a citizenoftheRepublic of France, and a resident of Paris, France, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufactureof Metal Tubes :byt'he Self- Hooping; Process, which invention is fully set v:Eorth in the following specifications j Thisapplication is a division of my for? mer a-pplicationf led March 31, v1919,-,Serial No. 286,501, for an. improved process and apparatus for the .nianu-factureof metal tubes of great strength by the self-hoop-i strengthen the same.

ing method, which-consists in subjecting the interior of the tube to chargesof fluid under very high pressure toistressandto condense the; metal to shape and :to

The process disclosed in the former. vapplication consists, broadly, in subjecting the interior ofthe tubes tobe treated to successive charges of high liquid, pressure with a pro.-

gressive increase inthe area of application of each successive .charge,--so' that the. areaof application of a succeeding. charge includes the area of application-of a preceding charge.

structional forms constitutes the subject-V matter ofthe presentapplication.

The present constructionalfform of theimproved apparatus cornprise's .a: mandrel 5 block to be held stationary thereby, the man-g slidable through. a screw-block temporarily:

seated in an end of the tube to be treated.

toward the opposite end of the tube,carrying the mandrel with it-.; A similar head is:

placed inside of thef-tubeto abut the's'crevw drelbeing slidable through this: stationary head. 5 The movable and stationary heads fornran annular chamberbetween the man? drel and theltube into which fluid-pressure is charged by aleond'uitin the mandrel lead- 1 ing from a suitable source of supply. The

piston likeiheads are of. such a structure as to prevent leakage from .the annular cham-.

ber.

While the apparatus In the 1 former application are} 'shown and described two constructional: forms of the improved apparatus-for carry ing out the process, and one-of said con 7 Duringthe application of theifluid-presnfi d er 2 ,1921; i

sure the mandrehandconsequently themovable ;head,-'is held against, movement bya series, of sleeves, "or liners I displaceably latterand the movable head are permitted to move into the tube :to increase progresreceive the successive charges of fluid pressure. This pI 'VOgI' GSSIVGJlHQIBaSQ in the 'sivelythej-length of the annular chamber to length of the annular chamber increasesthe reaof applicationof each charge of fluid pressure so that the area of. application on succeeding charge includes the area ofa'p plication of a preceding charge.

is particularly adapted to the-treatment of gun-barrels and will be so described, yet-it can her-employed.

theimetal adjacent to the bore thereof. v

In the drawings, showingthe present eonstructio'nal form of the improvedapparatus', Complementary Figs. 1* and 1 showea longitudinal section of a gun'barrel (part of:

the breech beingbrolzen away) with the ap paratus applied thereto, the piston-like heads'beingiin a position to confine the annular chamber to the first zone of treatment.

Complementary Figs. 12' and 2 1show a.

similar view with the movable head adseco'nd zone of treatmentd barrel to be treated andaB' is'th e mandrel entering the bore o f the barrel, carrying at 'vance'd to confine the annular chamber to the" its inner endithe'head J, held on the mandrel U bythe nut C In enteringzthe barrel-the mandrel passes through the-screw-block temporarilyturned into thebreech of the barrel. ;-.Within the barrel andabutting the screw-block is the stationary head J through The heads 41' packings to prevent leakage past t e same.

Thedetail-constructionof these heads is] shown ininy former Patent 1,331,216, dated Feb. 17,1920.

a the annular chamber to relieve the pressure on the mandrel and the sleeves.

The headsJ and J form within the barrel an annular chamber into which fluid pressure is charged to stress and to strain the metal to shape and to strengthen the same. The fluid-pressure enters the annular chamber from the conduit b in the -mandrel communicating through the pipe E with a suitable source of supply (not shown). The V pipe E is provided with an ordinary valve (not shown) so that the fiow of fluid-pressure into the annular chamber can be controlled. V

The mandrel B is slidable through the 1 moving inwardly andthe head J is held immovable against thethrust of the fluid-pres sure in the annular chamber. As the head J 1' is stationary and the head J held immovable so long as the sleeves remain in place, theapplication of the fluid-pressure to the wall of the barrelwill be confined to thearea' between the two heads.

To displace the sleeves F F the'nut C is removed from the outer end of the man-' drel and the outermost sleeve is slipped off and the nut is replaced. Before the nut is removed/the fluid-pressure is cut off from A further wprovision may be made for displacing the sleeves. Each sleeve may be divided longitudinally, as sleeve F into halves and the two members are clamped together around the mandrel by the divided bands f joined at their ends by suitable screw-bolts. By-re-' moving the screw-bolts the bands can be released and the two"members of the sleeve separated and removed from the mandrel without unscrewing the nut C. One advantage of the divided sleeve is that an inner barrel is required to withstand the greater sleeve can be displaced from the mandrel without removing the outer sleeves.

As the thicker wall of the breech of the strainsof the discharge, the metal thereof is subjected to repeated applications of the fluid-pressure toincrease its powers of resistance. Toward. the muzzle of the barrel the number of applications are gradually decreased as resistance requirements gradually lessen. I 1

To facilitate the application of the fluid pressure the barrel is divided into 'zones Z -Z", diagrammatically indicated, according to the varying thickness in the wall of the barrel. That'is, thewall in each zone in the samesequenee The mandrel B, the heads J, J and the is practically of the same thickness throughout and all the metal thereof requires approximately the same treatment. .Corre-' sponding to the successivelzones Z Z is the series of sleeves F arranged in the same sequence on the mandrelB, prelimi nary to the operation of the apparatus. The 7 lengths of the respective sleeves are indicated diagrammatically at L --L and correspond to thelengths of the different zones screw block D having been mounted in the gun barrel, preliminary to the operation of 'theapparatus thefl' sleeves F?'F are arranged on the mandrel in the order indicated. Fluid-pressure is then admitted to the annular chamber between the heads J,

J and the head J is moved into the barrel,

carrying the mandrel with it, until the sleeves" 'F' are crowded together between the nut C and the screw-block'D,which will prevent any furthermovementof the 'mandrel and the movable head in the barrel. This relative arrangement'of the several parts will position theheads J, J 1 to confine the annular chamber to the zone Z which practically includes theentire'breech part of the barrel. The fluid-pressure entering the annular chamber strains and stressesythe metal in the wall to shape and to strengthen the same. .When the metal has been su fli- V eiently treated the fluid-pressure is cut ofi' from the annular chamber and the sleeve "F is removed from the mandrel either by unscrewing the nut C, or by releasing cla'mping bands f. The displaced sleeve "F has a length L corresponding to the length of the zone Z After the nut C is replaced, if it has been removed, the; fluid-pressure is turned on again and the movable head is forced farther into the barrel untilthe sleeves and the abutments again impinge on 3 each other and stop the movement of the mandrel and the head. This second movement will position the movable head J to include the zone Z within the limits of'the an nular' chamber. The new area of application of fluid-pressure includes the former zone Z and the'additionalzone Z The operation is repeated until all the sleeves are displaced and thenut -O impinges on the screw-block D. In this 'final stage of-thetreatment all the zones vof the barrel are in-' v applicationof the fluid 120 cluded in the area of pressure. y I

In the successive applications of fluid pressure the area treatedis progressively increased, the zone of a succeeding application including the zones of all the preceding applications. "As the breech is inthe first zone, the metal of the same receives anintensified treatment, which imparts 'to thebarrel 'the' greatest strength whereit is most required' This intense treatment progressively lessens toward the muzzle where the least-"strength is required. H I a Y -What is claimed'isi i 1. An "apparatus for treating metallic tubes to shape and to strengthen the same comprising means for closing one end of the tube to be treated, means for chargingffluidpressure into the closed. end of the tube, a headmovable in the tube in advance of the fluid-pressure toconfine the latter to a predetermined zone-of application, a mandrel entering the tube: and carrying the movable head, and a series of displaceablesleeves carried bythe V cooperating'withza holding means and the mandrel to'hold the head 'agains'tthe thrust of a fluid-pressure charge,- thedisplacement of the sleeves from the mandrel controlling the advance-of the head andthe length of a displaced sleeve determining the advance of the head in the next charge of fluid-pressure.

2. "Anpapparlatus for treating metallic tubes to shape andvto strengthenthe same, I V

vidu'al sleeves determining 'the area of mcrease in the consecutiveapplications of comprising means for closing oneend of the tube to be treated, means for charg ng fillllpressureinto the closed end-of the tube,

' head movable in the tube in advance of the fluid-pressure -to confine thelatter to apredetermined zone of application, .a mandrel entering-'the-tube-and carrying the movable 7 head, and a series of sleeves mounted on the mandrel outside ofothe tube and sequentially displaceable from the mandrel,said sleeves cooperating with a holding means and the mandrel to hold the head against the thrust of a fluid pressurecharge,the" sequential displacement of the sleeves from the mandrel controlling the advance of'the head, the

length of the individual sleeves determining the'area of increase in the consecutive applications of fluid-pressure.

3. An apparatus for treating metallic tubes to shape and to strengthen the same comprising means for closing one end of the tube to be treated, means for charging fluidpressure into the closed end of the tube, a head movable in the tube in advance of the fluid-pressureto confine the latter to a pre determined zone of application, a mandrel entering the tube and carrying the movable head, a series of .sleeves slidable on the mandrel outside of the tube to be sequentially displaced from the mandrel by the inward movement'of the mandrel through the action of the fluid-pressure on the movable head, and means operable to engage the sleeves remaining on the mandrel after the displacement of asleeve to limit the' inward movement of the mandred and head to the distance determined by the length of the displaced sleeve, 7

t. An apparatus for treating metallic tubes to shape and to strengthenthe same,

mandrel outside of the-tube and in place on the mandrel,saidsleeves-so held operating to the head against the thrust of the fluid-pres I the fiuidrpressure to confine the latter ,to a i predetermined 'Zone of application, a mandrel entering the .tube and carrying the movable head, a. series of sleeves slidable on the mandrel outside of the tube to be sequentially "displaced'from said-mandrel, an

abutment on'the tube to engageone end of the series of sleeves, and a nut on the outer end of the mandrel forming an abutment forthe other end of theseriesof sleeves,

said abutmentsoperating to-hold the sleeves 7 hold the mandrel tomaintain sure, the removal of said nut permitting the release of .the sleeves to be displaced by inward movement of the mandrel, the sequential displacement of the sleeves from the mandrel controlling the advance of the movable head and' thetlengthof the-indi fluid-pressure.

5. An apparatus for treating jmetallic tubes to shape and; to strengthen the same, comprising a stationary head closing one endotohe tube to be treated, amandrel slidable through the stationary head' and enteringthe tube, a movable tubelonfthe inner end of the mandrel, said headsfforming a' chamber in the tube, means for changing fluid press'ure into said chamand a serles of sleeves displaceably ber mounted on the outer end of the mandrel and interposed between an abutment carried by the tube and a detachable abutment at the outer end of the mandrel, said sleeves and abutments operating to hold the mandrel and movable head against the thrust of fluid-pressure in the chamber, the detachment ofthe abutment on the outer end of the mandrel permitting sequential displacement of the-sleeves from the mandrel with a consequent inward movement of the mandrel and movable head when the chamber is charged with fluid-pressure, the sequential displacement of the sleeves from the mandrel controlling the advance of the movable head and the length of the individual sleeves determiningthe area of increases in the consecutive applications of the fluid-pressure.

6. An apparatus for treating metallic tubes toshapeand to strengthenthe same, comprising'a screw-block turned into one endof the tube to be treated, a stationary head in the tube abutting the screw-block, a mandrel slidable through the screw-block and the stationary head to enter the tube, a

head movable in the tube and mounted on the inner end of the mandrel, said heads head in the forming a chamber inthe tube, means for charging fluid-pressure into said chamber, and a series of sleeves displaceably mounted ontheouter end of the mandrel and interposed betw'een abutments formed by the screw-block and a nut turned onto the outer extremity ofthe mandrel, said sleeves and abutmentsoperating to hold the mandrel and movable head against the thrust of .fluid-pressurein the chamber, the removal of the nut from the mandrel permitting sequential displacement of the sleeves from the mandrel with aconsequent inward movement of the mandrel and movable head. when the chamber is charged with fluid-.1 pressure, the sequential displacement of the sleeves from the mandrel controlling the ads,

7 vance of the movableihead and the length charging fluid-pressure into the chamber, a

mandrel slidable through the temporary closure into the tube and attached to the movable head to control the movementof said head, and a series of sleeves displaceably mounted on the mandrel outside of the tube and interposed between abutments on the tube and the mandrel, said, sleeves operating to control the inward movement of the mandrel.

8. An apparatus for treating metallic tubes to shape and to strengthen the same,

comprising a closure for one end of the tube to be treated, a head movable in the tube a and forming with said closure an extendible chamber, means for charging fluid-pressure into the chamber, a mandrel entering the tube and attached to the movable head to control the movement of said head, and a series of sleeves displaceably mounted on the mandrel outside of the tube and interposed between abutments on the tube and the mandrel, said sleeves operating to control the inward'movement of the mandrel. g

9. An apparatus for treating metallic tubes toshape and to strengthen the same, comprisinga closurefor one-end of the tube to be treated,a head movable in the tube and forming with said closure an extendible chamber, means for charging fluid-pressure intothe chamber, a mandrel-entering'the tube and-attached to the movable head to control the movement ofsaid head,;and a series of vsleeves displaceably mounted on the mandrel outside :of the tube and interposed between abutments on the tube an'd the mandrel, said sleeves operating to'control theinward movement of the mandrel,

each of said sleeves'being divided lorigitu dinally and provided with means to clamp the divided parts together so that said parts can beseparated and the" sleeve reor a v moved from the mandrel." I I In testimony whereof I have signed this specification. r a a EUGENE SCHNEIDER; Witnesses: 7 ,7 a I ANDRE -MOSTICKER,.

1 Lotus GARDET. 

